


With You

by NattiKay



Category: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Post-Canon, Troll Jim Lake Jr., really just a big ol' clump of fluff with just the lightest possible dusting of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-13
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:08:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21773455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NattiKay/pseuds/NattiKay
Summary: Jim wonders why on earth Claire would choose to go on a long, boring, exhausting trek with a bunch of tired trolls. She tells him.
Relationships: Jim Lake Jr./Claire Nuñez
Comments: 6
Kudos: 106





	With You

**Author's Note:**

> this fandom is too smol and there's not enough Jlaire fluff fics out there so I took it upon myself to write one lol

“Why did you want to come with me?”

The question came a few days into the journey, when the fresh post-battle adrenaline had waned, leaving weary feet and minds in its wake. Oddly, the journey ahead seemed even longer now than it had at the start. Any initial anticipation to embark on the quest dissipated in the hours upon hours of walking, walking, walking and the fugitive trolls found themselves powered more by a grim determination than anything else. They needed a Heartstone. The Arcadian Heartstone was destroyed. And so, they walked.

And walked.

And walked.

“What do you mean?” Claire asked, turning to face her impromptu interrogator. A faint warm glow illuminated the horizon; dawn would soon be breaking, and the trolls would soon be stopping to rest anyways. Already the caravan had begun to disperse as individuals sought whatever shady crevices they could find in which to hide from the sun’s rays through the coming day.

“This quest,” said Jim as he and Claire plopped down together under an impressive tree. “Why did you want to come? Not that I don’t want you here!” he amended hastily, “It’s just…this quest is different than the ones we did before. With those, we could just…take the gyre, be there and back within the same day. Finding a new heartstone…this could take weeks…months, even! Months of walking in the dark and sleeping on cold stone or forest floor and only showering when the lucky opportunity presents itself…as the Trollhunter it’s my _job_ to go, but _you_ …you didn’t have to. So why did you?”

Claire regarded him for a moment before replying simply,

“To be with you.”

Jim was momentarily thrown by the simple honesty in her voice. He furrowed his brow.

“You…left everything you’ve known to come on a boring, exhausting, who-knows-how-long trek with a bunch of literal sweaty, tired trolls…to be with a…a half-troll?”

“To be with my _boyfriend_ whom I love very much no matter what he looks like. Which, by the way, is decidedly _not_ ugly in any way!” Claire smirked, lightly knocking Jim’s shoulder in jest.

“But my teeth–”

“–are _cute_ ,” Claire insisted firmly. “And so are your horns,” she added as Jim opened his mouth to protest. He closed it again.

“And your _eyes_ …” Claire continued, reaching a hand up to stroke his face gently. “Your eyes are still the same as they’ve always been. The exact same beautiful, kind, gentle blue I fell in love with.”

The eyes in question widened as Jim felt his face grow warm, the tough blue skin tinging a faint purple.

“What did I ever do to deserve you?” He breathed in awe, leaning ever-so-slightly into the touch.

Claire scoffed, though the sound was not so much mean as it was exasperated, perhaps with even a hint of amusement.

“ _‘What did you do to deserve me’?_ Jim, you rescued my baby brother from the Darklands! Even though it meant you were stuck in there yourself for two weeks, nearly killed at Gunmar’s hand! You always put everyone’s needs before your own…you always stand for what you think is right, even to your own detriment in front of the tribunal…you helped fish my spirit out of the Shadow Realm when Morgana stole my body…you sacrificed _your_ body to save the world from Gunmar and Morgana, and then were willing to give up your _life_ for us when Morgana…when she…”

Claire broke off with a shuddering breath, taking a moment to compose herself before plowing on.

“Well, I’m glad _that_ sacrifice was not…well…you know…but don’t you see? Half-troll or not, Jim, you’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met. I want to be with you, to be there _for_ you, to support you in anything that life throws at us. Even if that means…how did you put it?…going on a ‘boring, exhausting, who-knows-how-long trek with a bunch of literal sweaty, tired trolls’.” She grinned up at him earnestly. “ _Honestly_ ,” she said with a shake of her head, “ _I’m_ the one who should be wondering what I did to deserve _you._ ”

Jim wanted to answer her question. He really did. But her earnest confession had left him utterly speechless. All he could do was stare in awe, eyes welling up with emotions he couldn’t seem to put into words. Slowly, he summoned his strength and pulled Claire into an embrace she promptly returned. It wasn’t the most _comfortable_ hug they’d ever shared, as both were still encased in their hard metal armor…but it was good enough.

Jim rested his cheek on Claire’s head, holding her as close as the armor would allow. “I love you,” he whispered.

It was the first time he’d told her out loud.

Claire understood.

“I love you too,” she cooed, pulling back from the embrace just enough to reach up and kiss his cheek. “Now come on. Let’s find somewhere safe to spend the day and get some sleep.”


End file.
